Key facts
- A letter signed by over 30,000 people, including politicians and public figures, calls for a public inquiry into media coverage of the late Professor Jason Arday.
- The signatories allege Arday's death followed "two weeks of relentless harassment" and a "vicious witch hunt".
- Arday, 41, resigned from his Cambridge professorship on August 5 following plagiarism allegations, which he denied.
- Liverpool John Moores University had previously concluded Arday did not plagiarise work for his PhD.
- The letter urges an "immediate public inquiry into how to ensure a responsible press".
- More than £90,000 has been raised for Arday's family.
Public figures and friends of the late Cambridge professor Jason Arday are calling for a public inquiry into media coverage surrounding him before his death. A letter, signed by over 30,000 people including Labour MPs Diane Abbott and Nadia Whittome, actress Jameela Jamil, and broadcaster Carol Vorderman, claims Arday's death followed "two weeks of relentless harassment" and a "vicious witch hunt".
The letter, issued by the Good Law Project, which had been representing Arday after he stepped down from his Cambridge role amid plagiarism allegations, states that many signatories had warned media outlets about the intensity of their reporting. Arday, 41, was found dead on Friday in Battersea, south London. He had resigned on August 5 from his position as a professor of sociology of education at Cambridge University after allegations of plagiarism and questions about his achievements, which he denied.
Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded Arday his PhD in 2015, had concluded that he had not plagiarised work. The controversy began when academic Nathan Cofnas alleged plagiarism in Arday's work. Cofnas himself had been sacked from a Cambridge role amid controversy over his views on race and meritocracy.
Lord Woolley, principal of Homerton College at Cambridge, told BBC Radio 4 that Arday felt "hounded" and that the media coverage had been "a bloodsport". He suggested that racism might be a factor in the differential treatment Arday received compared to other academics accused of plagiarism. Cambridge University stated that Arday had received support for his well-being during his tenure and after his resignation, even amidst intense scrutiny.
Cambridge had announced an independent investigation into Arday's appointment on August 6. However, it is understood the university is reconsidering whether to proceed. Arday's friend, Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, suggested the investigation should continue to "see what we learn from it". More than £90,000 has been raised for Arday's family, and a vigil is planned.